“This could be our biggest offering ever.”
That phrase ended up being prophetic.
As we stood in a gathering of local women caught in the sex trade at what is known as the Red Light District Church in Southeast Asia, the emotions literally drained us. But we all felt deeply that God wanted to do something special through our combined efforts this year.
The Stone Table’s model is simple. Our sister organization, Community Reinvestment Foundation, provides affordable housing and assisted living to people who need it and give half its profits every year to support missions work all over the world. Each year, we take a portion of those dollars and partner together with churches and other businesses to multiply the impact. Not only can we do more when we work together, it’s just way more fun!
This year, our combined project was for Project Rescue, a Gospel-centered ministry focused on eradicating sex-trafficking around the world. In September, a group of 16 pastors and businessmen traveled 16 hours to see these projects firsthand and meet with many of the rescued girls and the leaders of the ministry. it impacted us all in more ways than we ever anticipated.
Pastor David Wigington (Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, Bloomington, IN and Stone Table board member) led the charge alongside Rod Loy (First Assembly North Little Rock, AR and Director of Strategic Initiatives for Project Rescue), Robby Bradford (River City Church, Lafayette, IN), Ron Bontrager (Lakeview Church, Indianapolis, IN), Adam Detamore (ReaLife Church, Greenfield, IN), Wayne Murray (Grace Church, Greenwood, IN), Nathan Peternel (Life Church, Indianapolis, IN), Jeremy Yancey (Timber Creek Church, Lufkin, TX), Craig White (Crossroads Church, Avon, IN), and Dave Divine (Church at Chapel Hill, Douglasville, GA).
In December, each of these 10 churches preached a unified sermon series that culminated in a year-end offering for Project Rescue. The response shattered giving records at almost all the churches, and combined with the matching funds from The Stone Table, total giving surpassed the $1.3 million mark!
In addition to the Church offerings, our friends at Thompson Brothers, Whitehead Farms, Consolidated Property Management, Irongate Fine Homes, and T&W Construction all made sizable donations and came up with creative ways to spread the word and raise additional dollars.
It’s amazing to me what the Body of Christ can do, both through the local church and through the marketplace, when we join together to see the mission of God advance in this world. We truly are better together!
May His Kingdom come.
